“Amplifying marginalized Black Father's Voices”
- Leonard Tshitenge
Black Fathers Are Sleeping with One Eye Open
Project Description
Leonard Tshitenge created "Black Fathers Are Sleeping with One Eye Open," a creative arts experience that is animated, interactive, and connects spoken word, expressive writing, and multidisciplinary arts. This experience is a tool to radically address the absent father households in the city of Boston and to reform policies and practices in key areas that are deeply rooted in systematic disparities related to health/mental health, as well as racial and economic injustice in the City of Boston. The experience addresses key areas impacting vulnerable low-income Black fathers while advancing creativity in the arts. Leonard's goal is to promote the use of artistic approaches to advance the causes of marginalized, low-income Black Fathers, including social justice, social issues, and the growth of community building. His hopes are that participants will empower the expression of emotions, social issues, and thoughts that in turn improve mental and emotional wellness.
Artist Bio
Born in the Democratic Republic of Congo in Africa, Leonard Tshitenge (he/him) is a dynamic poet, speaker, coach, and consultant. He holds a M.S. In Psychology/Mental Health. Leonard uses an artistic approach to advance the causes of social justice and grow community building while investigating social determinants of mental health. In 2013, He founded Consciously Exposed to serve organizations and universities with a keen focus on diversity and inclusion, and to elevate the rights of marginalized people and communities in the United States. His arts, workshops, lectures, and community-building events have been a successful way of improving human rights. He has helped create more empathetic, equitable, and prosperous communities by enabling organizations to elevate the cultural intelligence of diverse consumers.
“I think the RIRJ experience was one of the best experiences ever. I felt supported throughout the process. I love the RIRJ Team. I am grateful to be supported and most importantly being supported with my creative process. I enjoyed reading everybody's project. I look forward to continuing to be part of this incredible experience.”
- Leonard Tshitenge
POEM
BLACK FATHERS ARE SLEEPING WITH ONE EYE OPEN
Welcome to Urban Nightmares,
Where Black Fathers are sleeping with one eye open,
Tossing and Turning,
Because their lives are now reality shows,
With many episodes, Like:
- losing affordable housing,
becoming the Joke of American Family Probate Court;
with Biases in Unjust Child Support.
Where many child support orders are in default,
Because of Court barely consider Low-Income Fathers'wage earnings,
resulting in Fathers avoiding attending Court hearings.
Welcome to Urban Nightmares,
Where Black Fathers are sleeping with one eye open,
Because American politicians play chess with tax brackets and Single-Fathers paychecks.
Low-Income Fathers can't get a job because of past felonies,
With no Cori-Friendly Job in the City,
barely receive parenting time or custody;
due to Broken Family Court systems, labeling: Black Men as Angry!
So, Welcome to Urban Nightmares,
Where Black Fathers are sleeping with one eye open,
Because - Child Protective Services have mistaken a Father Passion for Aggression; distributing Restraining orders like candy, without realizing,
over 2.4 million Kids in the U.S. currently have a father in prison--
With Black men leading from the ages of 20 and 30.
With being the most populated in prison ;
while the Criminal Justice System and the prison-industrial complex,
are a multi-billion-dollar business in the name of racial profiling and Capitalism.
Welcome to Urban Nightmares,
Where Black Fathers are sleeping with one eye open,
Because of Emotional Famine,
Waking up in the middle of the night,
dialing 911 looking for their Absent Fathers,
because they missed out on hugs and kisses,
suffering from depression,
anxiety, losing their sanity, while Black Fathers are
running and hiding, because Mass Incarceration is chasing after them
Welcome to Urban Nightmares,
Where Black Fathers are sleeping with one eye open,
Because of Welfare regulations,
generating financial incentives
for mothers to remain single,
with no support for Fathers,
knowing that it takes two to tango.
Welcome to Urban Nightmares,
Where Black Fathers are sleeping with one eye open.
Suffering in Silence has become the only treatment for Men to manage their emotions and Mental health.
While Black men don't trust mental health clinics,
afraid of misdiagnosis, racial and cultural bias,
while The United States Mental health system,
still struggles to provide mental health services;
to people of color and ethnic minorities,
because of the lack of training in cultural competency!
Welcome to Urban Nightmares,
Where Black Fathers are sleeping with one eye open,
Because Father's Day is an underrated holiday,
With a Card and a Call for the remainder of the day.
While fighting to remain engaged and reconnect with their children, to create new legacies.
Give birth to a new narrative, with God as their armor, to protect their SANITY.
POETRY by Leonard Tshitenge
Copyright © 2021 Leonard Tshitenge. All rights reserved.